The Words She Couldn't Say
by nyapoke
Summary: Lucy got kicked out of Fairy Tail after hurting Lisanna for some reason and joins Sabertooth. Sting and Rogue befriend and try to protect her, but Ultear has her own machinations. A spin on the Tenrou Island - GMG arcs. This is my first fanfic so... please give me constructive criticism!
1. A Misunderstanding

It wasn't me. Lucy struggled to say those three words, but the glares from her guild mates shut her up. Her hands trembled as she felt the blood drip to the floor.

One hour ago, the celebration party for Lisanna's return finally started as the main star, her brother and sister finally arrived. There were cheers from every guild member, even those who joined after Lisanna's disappearance, and Lucy was especially happy to meet the famous Lisanna, after hearing many stories from Natsu and the older members. Mira took her usual place behind the bar, and Elfman joined his "manly" buddies. Lisanna immediately headed towards Natsu, eager to catch up and make up the lost time. Many guild members had suspicions about Natsu and Lisanna's relationship, but none of them confronted the two about the truth. However, as far as Lucy was concerned, Natsu was free to love Lisanna, because Lucy, contrary to everyone's opinion, was not in love with him.

While Natsu and Lisanna's conversation gradually escalated, Lucy smiled to herself, pleased that her friends were smiling. Lucy suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to see Gray and Erza looking at her with giant grins on their faces. They knew that Lucy didn't love Natsu and enjoyed themselves because everyone else believed that Lucy's smile was forced, that she was sad as she saw Natsu and Lisanna talking. Lucy noticed Gray and Erza were speaking but was unable to make out any words due to the deafening shouts from the other members.

"YAH, I CAN'T HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING!" Lucy screamed at them. Gray and Erza stared back in confusion, also unable to understand what she was saying. The trio looked at each other and burst into laughter.

Forty minutes into the party, Natsu and Lisanna stood up and parted ways, laughing, to talk to others. Lucy noticed her chance and dashed to the bar. Underneath the bar, where Mira carefully stood guard, Lucy had hidden everyone's present to Lisanna. To celebrate her return, Master gave Lucy and her teammates the mission to buy her welcome home present, and Natsu insisted that they buy her a pet. Erza accidently smacked Natsu on instinct before agreeing that a pet would be nice. Lucy smiled at the memory before rushing to Lisanna with the precious box in hand.

Unbeknownst to them, the sky outside darkened quickly as a mysterious guild ship teleported from seemingly nowhere. As the ship descended onto the water, four cloaked figures left the ship and ran towards the Fairy Tail base.

Lucy tapped Lisanna on the shoulder.

"Hey Lisanna! How's the party going for you?"

"Ah, you're Lucy, right? I've been looking forward to talk to you again. Thanks for taking care of Natsu while I've been gone. He must have been a lot of trouble!"

"Not at all! Besides, Erza kept him in line just as much as me. Besides, I'm weak compared to them. Part of my strength comes from my many celestial spirits, too."

"That's not true! At Edolas, you were so much stronger than-. WHAT IS THAT?!"

Lisanna finally noticed the box shaking in Lucy's hand. The blonde smiled and handed the present to Lisanna, who slowly opened it. Upon seeing the bird, Lisanna squealed and hugged Lucy, who hugged her back.

Four figures stood outside the guild entrance. One of them motioned to the others and the other three nodded in response. The one who motioned knocked on the door, while the other three hid themselves.

Wendy watched Lucy and Lisanna with a worried face. Last night, Wendy had a strange vision involving Lucy and Lisanna.

_During the party, Lucy handed Lisanna a present, and Lisanna jumped and hugged Lucy back in return. They smiled at each other as Lisanna went to chat with Mira and Elfman, and Cana took Lucy away to console her with alcohol. A cloaked figure followed the Master through the center of the party, but, for some reason, approached Lucy, who looked shocked when she saw the figure's face. Master didn't notice that the mysterious person was no longer behind him. After receiving something from the figure, Lucy, with the lights gone from her eyes, slowly walked towards Lisanna. Upon seeing Lucy, Lisanna grinned and waved for her to come over and join them. As if she were drunk, Lucy stumbled her way towards the Strauss family. She opened the small pouch, took out a dagger, and stabbed Lisanna with it. Mira and Elfman watched, their faces frozen in happiness due to shock. As soon as Lisanna fell down, the lights returned to Lucy's eyes. Mira screamed and Elfman pushed Lucy against to the floor."_

The Master stood by the door, watching his little children party. When he heard the knock, he opened the door and saw the cloaked figure. The person murmured something to the Master and slightly shifted the cloak to let him see under the cloak. The Master's eyes widened and he motioned the mysterious person to follow him. The person walked behind him until Lucy passed by. Wendy saw Lucy and the person make contact and dashed towards them. She crashed into Gray, who was only wearing boxers. Embarrassed, Wendy covered her eyes, and Gray quickly noticed his lack of clothing and looked for pants. As the two calmed down, Erza walked up to them and slapped Gray to the floor for his inappropriate behavior in front of a child. While Wendy, flustered, tried to calm the situation down, Lucy was in front Lisanna. Only when Mira's bloodcurdling scream resounded through the air did Wendy realize she failed to stop the prediction. As everyone rushed towards the scene, Wendy fell to her knees, tears leaking out of her eyes.


	2. Without A Smile

Rogue sat next to his teammate, who lay sleeping on the grass. As the wind picked up, her blonde hair fluttered in the wind, and she trembled slightly at the cold draft. Rogue noticed her slight discomfort and placed his coat on top of her. A tear leaked from one of her eyes, and she whispered the words she wasn't able to say then: It wasn't my fault. Surprised, Rogue looked pained as he sorrowfully looked at the girl; he longed to see her smile.

_Two years ago, Rogue and Sting returned from their mission only to see a girl collapsed in front of the guild. They brought her inside to discuss with the other Sabertooth members what to do with her. When she woke up, they learned only two things: her name was Lucy, she harbored a great sadness. Minerva, who returned to the guild the next day, noticed that she looked like an older version of Lucy Heartfilia from Fairy Tail; however, upon hearing Fairy Tail, Lucy's eyes widened in shock, and her body continued to shake until she eventually passed out. Curious about her past, the Sabertooth Master agreed to let her join the guild. After the first year, the members, particularly Yukino, managed to hold a two-minute conversation with Lucy, without any awkward silences in between. By the end of the second year, Lucy joined Rogue and Sting's team in order to train, and the two dragon slayers became accustomed to her muteness._

Rogue sighed as he recalled the first day he met Lucy. Both he and Sting felt connected to Lucy ever since that day, as if she had known a similar pain as they did, but whether it was love or not, he didn't know, because he had never learned to love. The sound of footsteps pulled Rogue from his thoughts and Lucy from her slumber. Sting, who lost rock-paper-scissors earlier, returned with food in his hands. After seeing Lucy covered in a familiar black blanket, he smirked at Rogue, who, in turn, looked away and blushed.

They ate their dinner in silence as always, but it was more comfortable this way. Each of them hid secrets from each other, and each was afraid to step on another's mines. After the meal, they began their nightly sparring.

_When Lucy left Fairy Tail, she only had her celestial keys, but using them reminded her too much of her old guild. Under Minerva's suggestion, Lucy turned towards general spatial magic, which proved much more difficult that she thought. Initially, she learned to transport small objects to different locations, but her range was extremely limited and the act required too much concentration to be useful in battle. Yet now, after continuously getting beaten by Rogue and Sting's magic, Lucy could teleport anything substantial easily, if she could see it. Here was the problem: Lucy's magic only worked in the limited area in front of her, making her extremely vulnerable to attacks from behind. Even after training two vs. one, her attempting to fend off the two slayers, she failed to develop a winning strategy when Rogue and Sting attacked from different directions. They quickly switched to helping Lucy develop a new skill that could make up for this weakness, but were unable to think of anything. Minerva, who was tired of seeing them fail, suggested that Lucy could perhaps create new dimensions, those not unlike the Spirit World._

Lucy felt the air leave her lungs as she hit the tree. Somehow, she managed to teleport Rogue's Shadow Dragon Roar away, but Sting attacked her from behind. As usual, they showed no mercy, despite their advantage in numbers, but this was how Lucy wanted it. If she was going to improve, she couldn't ask her partners to fight her half-heartedly. She stood up, rubbed her back, and prepared for round two. On cue, Rogue used Shadow Dragon's Waxwing Flash and disappeared from view. Here was another weakness to Lucy's ability: how could she teleport something 2-Dimesional? She was given no chance to ponder this as Sting's leg came flying from her left. She moved Sting to a tree, but was immediately assaulted by Rogue's shadows. Another failure.

The two dragon slayers were reluctant to continue. Although Lucy's injuries were not too serious, they had made sure of that, she wouldn't be able to fend both of them at once anymore. Lucy, however, stood up and took stance, ready to fight once more. Surprised, Rogue and Sting looked at each other; their princess was stubborn. Sting took initiative this time, preparing to use Dragon Force, while Rogue closed in and fought hand-to-hand combat. Lucy could tell they were holding back because of her injuries, but was wary of Sting. If he attacked and landed a hit on her in that form, even without using a skill, she might be out for a few days. Eager to finish off Rogue to focus on Sting, Lucy planned to block Rogue's punch with a tree, but it was Sting who kicked instead. Rogue did not plan to punch her at all but switch off with Sting. Unprepared, Lucy saw the tree be demolished and his leg nearing her. Sting matched her look of shock, but couldn't stop his attack. As his leg grew closer and closer, Lucy closed her eyes and prepared for the impact. Wow, I'll be out for a few months if I survive, she corrected in her head. A few seconds passed until she reopened her eyes, wondering why she was still conscious. She expected to see Sting's leg centimeters, millimeters away from her face, but only saw a leg entering a black hole. The rest of it was leaving another hole on her left.

Sting immediately withdrew his leg and looked at Lucy, stupefied. He broke into a smile, and with Rogue, they congratulated Lucy on her new technique. A blush spread across her face and the two laughed. How long has it been since they've seen her embarrassed.

Their celebration ended when Lucy noticed a flash of pink in the distance. Pink—one of the few colors that haunted her memories. Noticing the color draining from Lucy's face, Sting and Rogue looked behind them and grew pale as well. There was the person that caused Lucy so much pain, the person she least wanted to see: Natsu.


	3. Confrontation

Her heart began pounding furiously as she made eye contact with Natsu. She dropped her head as he began running towards them with two others following, Gray and Erza. Feeling Lucy's distress, Rogue and Sting walked in front of her, blocking Natsu from her view.

"Hey, do you know a blonde girl named Lucy? She's a celestial spirit mage." Natsu questioned when he reached them. "My friends and I are looking for her!" he pointed to the two behind him.

Rogue and Sting looked at each other. Of course, there was no way her old guild members would recognize her. Her long blonde hair was now black at the ends and she no longer wore very revealing clothing. Most of all, her trademark keys were with Yukino because she used spatial magic now. Rogue spoke up, "No."

"Hmm, that's weird. I thought I smelled her around here." Sniff, sniff. "I can smell her on you," he pointed to Lucy.

Even if her appearance changed, her scent couldn't. Sting grabbed Natsu's arm: "That's our precious guild member you're pointing at."

"Natsu, you're being rude." Erza joined the conversation, smacking Natsu on the head.

"But I swear she's here! Her scent isn't going away!"

Lucy touched Sting's arm, still looking down. "It's okay." She turned toward Natsu. "I know of a Lucy, but I killed her."

"You what?!"

"More like put her out of her misery." Lucy sneered. "She told me about how she blacked out for a moment, and when she came to, a girl, Lisanna I think she said, was on the ground bleeding. For some reason, the weapon, a dagger, was in her, Lucy's, hand.

"Following that, her guild beat her and kicked her out. With no place to go, she wandered around until she met me. After telling me this story, she begged me to kill her, so that she could finally leave to a better, happier world.

"What does her old guild want with her now? Did you want to torment her even more? Or did you finally realize you were in the wrong? However, you lost the right to care for her the moment you stopped treating her as a nakama. You were the ones closest to her, yet you betrayed her, in the worst possible way." Lucy met Natsu's eyes, and he stared back, stunned.

Gray stepped in. "You're right, but something's off. She could have told you all of this information, but why do you care so much about her and what we did to her? It sounds like your actually..." Gray realized that the person standing in front of him was actually Lucy.

Shocked, Lucy's eyes widened. "Let's go." Lucy quickly turned around and tugged on Rogue and Sting's sleeves. Before following, they glared at Natsu, who surprisingly flinched. Gray put his hand on Natsu and shook his head.

As Lucy left their view, Natsu punched the nearby tree. Erza approached the angry dragon slayer, "She's right. We were at fault back then, but we know now that it wasn't her fault. We can at least pray for her happiness in the afterlife."

"No…" Gray began. "She, Lucy, isn't dead yet."

Erza and Natsu turned to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"…" Gray didn't respond. The pain on Lucy's face as she turned away from him remained in his memory. He wanted to bring Lucy back to the guild and return everything to normal, but she seemed to suffer just by being in their presence. Would she be happier with her new guild? Would it be better for them to stop searching for her and leave her in peace?

"Who are you?" Natsu suddenly asked with a dumb look on his face.

"Hah?!" An anger mark appeared on Gray's forehead.

"Eh, well Gray seemed to be thinking about something."

Gray smirked, "Excuse me for having a brain unlike you."

"But well, if Lucy isn't dead, then that means we can resolve this misunderstanding. I'm sure our feelings will reach her." Erza looked relieved.

"Yea! Lucy's our nakama after all!" Natsu shouted. "She belongs in Fairy Tail!"

Gray smiled, happy that his friends were such simpletons.

As Lucy walked away from her former nakama, tears streamed down her eyes. She knew Gray recognized her, but desperately prayed he wouldn't tell the others. Natsu's expression also surprised her. A part of her wanted to get revenge, but she didn't think they would be that hurt. After all, they were the ones who cast her away first.

Rogue pulled Lucy into his embrace and stroked her hair. She began to relax under his familiar grip. Both Sting and Rogue did this before when Lucy just entered the guild. Continually tormented by what had happened in Fairy Tail, she broke down crying at times, and Rogue or Sting would comfort her by hugging, shielding her from the rest of the world. Lucy eventually cried herself to sleep and to let her rest, Rogue and Sting carried her back to their home.


	4. Grimoire Heart

Minerva was pissed. Even though Lucy and the dragon slayers finally returned from training, they wouldn't leave their room. Lucy was still resting while Rogue and Sting watched over her. Sting had informed Minerva that they met Fairy Tail's Natsu, who wanted to bring Lucy back. Of course it would be his fault. Even after two years, mentioning his name was enough to paralyze Lucy. A full on confrontation could have been fatal. After hearing how Lucy stunned Natsu though, Minerva was quite proud. The little blonde mage that she had raised was now fierce and powerful, mentally and physically.

However, there were other matters to be dealt with. Sabertooth had the opportunity to meet with Grimoire Heart, one of the strongest Dark Guilds. This was an once-in-a-lifetime chance that would allow the Sabertooth members to train with and become the best. Minerva was not about to let this chance slide by. Grimoire Heart agreed after hearing about the situation with Lucy. Since both guilds harbored a hatred for the fairies, the Master, Hades, wanted to see if Sabertooth would provide entertainment. Unfortunately, the meeting day was today, and their reminder soon came bursting through the door.

As the Sabertooth members turned their heads towards the explosion, a black-haired woman stood in the midst of the dust. "My, my. To think that you would waste such a precious opportunity… Have I overestimated you Sabertooths, or should I say kittens?"

Only Minerva bravely walked up. "We were perfectly aware that today was the meeting day, but circumstances on our side have arisen. Lucy, the one you so eagerly wish to meet, is currently bed-ridden after a stressful experience with the fairies."

The black-haired woman smiled. "Don't give me excuses. Your small guild does not deserve such privileges. We even came out of our way just to see you. I expected better of you." Minerva bowed her head, but the woman continued to destroy the base. The supports on the ceiling crumbled down and fell near Yukino. The woman approached and lifted her by her collar. "Heh. So this is your level. If it's like this, you wouldn't stand even a minute against Fairy Tail."

Anger boiled inside Minerva; she wanted the guild to be the best, the most powerful, number one in Fiore. Losing, especially to Fairy Tail, would be unacceptable. But now was not the right time, she couldn't defeat this woman with her current magic ability.

"Staying silent, huh. Well, if you won't bring Lucy to me, I'll just find her myself." The woman slowly walked towards the closed-door, and no one obstructed her path.

When the door rotted away, Rogue and Sting stood protectively in front of Lucy. "Who are you?" They asked, glaring.

She smirked. "Hemph. You three seem to have much potential. I am Ultear, of Grimoire Heart, and your new master."

That was as much as Minerva could take. She neared Ultear, casting her territory magic. The latter was surrounded by wave-like plasma but suddenly disappeared.

"Ah. You just had to destroy my projection." Ultear reappeared in between the guild doors. "But no matter. I've seen enough of your skills. Minerva. Sting. Rogue. And Lucy, she will be useful in her own way."

"So that was just a test?" Minerva turned towards Ultear.

"No need to glare at me so much. After all, I can give you power, enough power to defeat Fairy Tail. You just have to accept my offer."

Rogue and Sting looked at each other, nodded, and looked at Minerva.

Sigh. "Alright, we accept your offer... new Master…" Minerva mumbled.

"What was that? I couldn't hear you." Ultear jeered sadistically.

"Master" Minerva spoke louder.

Ultear ran up to Minerva and pushed her head down. Putting her foot on Minerva's head, she looked at the other members and asked again, "What did you say?"

Sting and Rogue reluctantly sank to their knees, and the others followed suit. "Master." They shook in humiliation and anger.

A few days later, Lucy awoke to darkness. Scared, she quickly sat up and looked for Rogue or Sting. The cloak covering her slipped off. She picked it up, realizing it was Rogue's. But where was he? Or any member for that matter. Sensing no movement or sign of life, she slid off the bed and opened the door to the guild's main hall. Her eyes widened at the sight: among the memebrs of Sabertooth, Yukino, Rufus, and Orga laid face down unconscious, bleeding. How were they defeated, despite being as strong as Minerva, Rogue and Sting, who were missing? Lucy panicked and ran up the stairs to find her teammates.

"Look who finally woke up." Ultear blocked Lucy's path.

"Who…"

"Why don't you look inside?" Ultear walked around Lucy and smiled, placing her hands on Lucy's face.

"Huh?" Lucy opened the door, quickly trying to look away. Ultear's hands, however, held her head in place.

The room was utterly destroyed, and in the center, Sting and Rogue were fighting each other in Dragon Force. Both were covered in scratches, staggering toward each other. Sting weakly swung his fist at Rogue, who didn't block. Their momentum, though, pulled them toward the ground. Lucy expected them to stay on the floor panting, drained of all their power, but they struggled to stand up.

"W-why are they fighting each other?" Tears fell from Lucy's face as she turned towards Ultear.

Ultear studied Lucy's face for a bit, and then pushed her to the ground. "I heard you wanted to get revenge on Fairy Tail. Is that wrong?"

"Well, yes, but… What does that have to do with Rogue and Sting beating each other up?"

"To get stronger of course. Why is that bad?"

"They don't need to kill each other! Aren't they nakama?!"

"Hah, don't make me laugh. In order to beat Fairy Tail, you need to throw away those useless feelings. Only fairies need that kind of "nakama" bond."

"Wha- Where is Minerva… or the Master?!"

"Heh… Because you were asleep, you don't know yet. I am now the ruler of Sabertooth, and under my rule, Sabertooth will be a dictatorship."


	5. Desolation

Six months had passed since Ultear took over, and today was the first Sunday without Ultear. At the beginning of the week, she announced that she was returning to Grimoire Heart because her master had summoned her.

Under Ultear's leadership, Sabertooth underwent a major transformation. While they were not as happy and carefree as Fairy Tail before, they now lost trust in most of their members. Teams were apart; all members were expected to clear missions, even S-class ones, alone. If they weren't on missions, at the guild, members without special training programs would fight in a free-for-all brawl against the other members continuously. Everyone participating had five targets on their bodies: one on each limb and the heart. Each blow to a limb target would earn the striker one point, to the heart target was ten points, knockout was fifty points. At the end of every week, unless there was a tie, the one with the lowest points would be kicked out, and Ultear would bring in a new member. For the first week, everyone banded together, making a pact to distribute the points evenly, but it didn't last. Friends who promised to watch each other's backs would betray each other, desperate to earn more points. There were also those who waited and interrupted a fight to knockout the weaker opponent. Before long, four members stood at the top of the ranking board: Yukino, Orga, and Rufus.

Sting, Rogue, Minerva, and Lucy were exempt from this. The twin dragon slayers trained together, often knocking each other out, only to wake up and resume battling. Though their power and endurance rose exponentially, they were no longer friends. In fact, no one in the guild was friendly anymore, at least, not sincerely. Ultear took Minerva under her wing, personally training her to be not just merciless, but apathetically ruthless. No one saw Minerva after the first day nor did Ultear ever mention her. Meanwhile, Lucy watched the Rogue and Sting fight, tending to their wounds while they were unconscious. She made sure to leave no bandages and just washed and sterilized the injuries. Though it pained her to see her nakama—

_No, they weren't nakama anymore. Ultear was right. To defeat Fairy Tail, she had to throw away these feelings. Rogue and Sting weren't her nakama; they just happened to be in the same guild and she treated them because she had nothing else to do. Besides, if they weren't cared for, no matter how hard they wanted to become stronger, they wouldn't be able to continue training because their bodies would be broken. She wanted them to be stronger. That was the only reason._

Lucy continued to convince herself with these thoughts. Still, every time they landed a blow or fell down, she felt pain in her heart. _This is just proof of my weakness_, she lied to herself.

Although the Sabertooth members battled mostly every day, they usually had Sunday off unless Ultear was extremely pissed off. This was the only time Lucy could meet up with the dragon slayers without them fighting. During these days, Lucy and Rogue slowly grew closer together. It wasn't particularly mushy-gushy sweet, but Sting began to feel like a third wheel. If it was a cold day, Rogue's cloak would magically appear on Lucy without Sting having any chance to even comment on the temperature. Or if Frosch was falling behind, Lucy would scoop him up and bring him to Rogue. She didn't do the same for Lector, not immediately. They didn't cling together, though, keeping almost half a meter away from each other at all times. Of course, Ultear also played a part in this. If they were too close, she would probably torture Lucy as some sort of inspiration for the dragon slayers during their training. After all, neither of them wanted her to be hurt. That was the purpose of their hellish sparring.

But today was different. Without Ultear, the trio could be friendly again without much worry. They only had to hide from the other guild members, which they planned to do by going back to the forest they once trained in together, where Lucy first learned to open portals. Lucy did not know it, but Rogue and Sting knew that she took care of them when they were knocked out. After all, it was slightly suspicious that their wounds quickly scabbed over and didn't hurt that much. Today, they wanted to pamper their blonde princess to pay her back for all her care.

Lucy, on the other hand, was dead tired. She did tend to the dragon slayers, but that was only during the day. At night, Ultear would make Lucy develop her spatial magic secretly. It was weird that someone with Holder-type magic could also use Caster-type, especially the uncategorized type, Urano Metoria. If Lucy was truly a Caster-type mage, then she wouldn't have to use keys to open doors to the Spirit World. In fact, that would explain why she could easily use forced gate closure; she could control the paths connecting their world and others. Also when Loki was about to disappear, the reason her spirits appeared behind her was not just because of their feelings, but because she created the path from the Spirit World to this world _without_ using keys. This gave her much more potential than Minerva, who also had spatial magic. Rather than Minerva's Territory magic, which allowed her to manipulate space, Lucy's magic would allow her to manipulate dimensions, parallel worlds. If she could develop her magic a further step, she could probably create these dimensions, sealing off her opponents for eternity. But Lucy didn't have the capacity to be cruel, she was too caring. That's why Ultear chose to publicly train Minerva; at least, that's what Ultear told Lucy.

But regardless of magic, Lucy was also happy to spend time with Rogue and Sting without Ultear shadowing them. And though she still had yet to smile, the two slayers knew she was happy. As they reached the forest, Lucy noticed that the tree Sting punched was still on the ground. Memories of those times came flooding back, and her eyes watered up.

"What's wrong?" Rogue's eyes were filled with concern.

"… I hate that you two have to fight each other every day." Lucy whispered. Despite the environment she had lived in, she still felt pain. Maybe it was because Lucy didn't actually participate in the free-for-all brawl, nor did she spar with someone 24/7, but Lucy still clung to faded memories of being nakama.

Rogue and Sting glanced at each other. "Hey, we are not weak. Besides, this guy's fists feel like pillows," Sting joked.

The crease between Lucy's brows deepened. "You don't know your limits. You're blinded by power but sacrificing more to get it. I wanted revenge against Fairy Tail for secluding me, but isn't Sabertooth doing the same thing? Not just to me, but to everyone" The tears fell from her eyes. "Why couldn't things stayed as they were, when the three of us trained together, and Yukino, Orga, and Rufus would welcome us back with a smile, and though Minerva would be strict, she would still worry on the inside…"

Rogue moved to hug Lucy, but Sting beat him to it. He surrounded her, holding her head and patting her back. Suddenly Rogue realized that the attraction he felt towards Lucy, Sting felt it too. They were both falling in love with her, even without knowing the concept of love, even after losing other emotions.

"Sorry," Sting started. "We just-"

Sting and Rogue had noticed the black silhouette standing behind Lucy. The black hair flowing in the wind, the merciless eyes, Ultear had watched the entire time.


	6. Fairy Tail

Ultear smirked and pulled Lucy out of Sting's hands. "What do you think you're doing to my precious pawn?"

"M-m-m-master…" Even after six months, it was still humiliating to accept Ultear as the guild master.

"Hmph. We're going back. Gather everyone together for a guild meeting." Ultear jumped off with Lucy, as Rogue and Sting were once again forced to stay still, trembling in rage. Unable to defeat Ultear yet, they returned to the base, expecting a severe punishment in front of the other members.

When Ultear and Lucy arrived at the guild, Ultear immediately pulled Lucy into the Master room. The latter expected to be slapped, kicked, and even tortured, but Ultear turned around, smiling. "I have a special mission for you."

"Huh?" Lucy couldn't hide her bewilderment.

"I know it will pain you to leave this guild but…" Ultear's grin widened.

"What are you—"

"Especially those two boys, you are quite close with them."

"It's not like that. We're just—"

"Don't tell me you want to say nakama." Ultear glowered. "I thought you forgot those feelings."

"…We just happen to be in the same guild sharing a similar pain. Nothing more, nothing less." The phrase Lucy repeated so often in her head finally became useful.

"I see, I see." Ultear nodded, smiling again. "You know, I clashed with your previous team once, when you were back in Fairy Tail, at Galuna Island."

"I apologize for my rudeness, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"… My guild, Grimoire Heart, is going to fight Fairy Tail, at Tenrou Island." Ultear added extra pauses between phrases. "We're looking for Zeref."

Zeref, the black wizard, capable of utter destruction. What did Grimoire Heart want with a monster like him? "I fail to see where my part comes in." Lucy replied in monotone, still confused.

"Your power could potentially open a portal to Zeref's demons, without using the Books of Zeref. But if you come with me, it's suspicious. After all, Tenrou is Fairy Tail's island."

_Fairy Tail_, the words resounded in Lucy's head. "I'll take the mission. So if I can't go with you, how will I get there?"

"No hesitation… Good. Come with me, and just follow my lead."

Ultear briskly walked out of the room and Lucy quickly followed behind. In the main hall, all the members were lined up orderly; Rogue and Sting stood in the front.

"Today is a Sunday, and the bottom trash has already been kicked out of the guild, and many of you expected me to not be here today." Ultear's voice projected over the crowd. "But that does not give you any excuse, _none at all_, to betray the guild's principles. In fact, I saw it happen with those who we thought to be powerful, useful."

Rogue and Sting took a step forward. "Ulte—"

Ultear cut them off. "Beside me stands that very traitor." She turned towards Lucy. "I placed great hopes in you, even exempted you from the brawl, only to see you cling onto those unnecessary feelings."

"It wasn't her, it was-" Sting spoke up again.

"Silence." Ultear paralyzed Sting with her glare. "As I was saying, you betrayed us Lucy, getting cozy with both Rogue and Sting. Tell me, which one were you really after?"

Lucy stared back in shock. Was this what Ultear meant when she said follow my lead? "I don't know what—"

"I think you know perfectly well what I'm talking about. But no matter, in the end rule-breakers must be punished." Ultear placed her hand on top of Lucy's head. "Lucy, from now on, you're dismissed from Sabertooth." She squeezed her hand, rousing a scream from the blonde. Lucy's face writhed in pain until she eventually passed out.

Everyone stared, completely stupefied. Although they had lost those feelings of "nakama," they still cared for Lucy, just as they had when she first entered. Just like Rogue and Sting, they wanted to see the day she would smile and join their guild not just physically, but also mentally and emotionally. And now, that hope was distinguished right before their eyes.

Satisfied that she had made her point, Ultear pointed to Rufus. "Erase this girl's memory and take her to Magnolia. Yukino, go get her keys. Everyone else, continue training. Anyone unhappy can challenge me and face a brutal death now."

A murmur stirred through the crowd but died down. They all knew that against Ultear, they had no chance of winning, even united. No, especially because they would be united, they couldn't fight. They were already trained to be suspicious of everyone surrounding them, even if they were an ally. They would be too distracted for sneak attacks to properly fight against their dictator.

Lucy awoke to a throbbing pain in her head. _Where am I and why am I here? In the first place, who am I? Oh, that's right. I'm Lucy Heartfilia and I should be partying at the guild for Lisanna's return party, but why am I outside? Did Natsu, Gray, and Erza abandon me when we were walking to the guild from my apartment? No, no, that can't be, they wouldn't. Someone would at least carry me back, unless… they're all pulling a prank on me?!_ Slightly confused, but filled with anticipation, Lucy walked back towards the guild with a smile on her face.

Back at the guild, Natsu, Gray, and Erza sat dejectedly. Even after all their vigor in trying to find Lucy after the past six months, they had no success. Lucy just wasn't in Magnolia, or even in Fiore, they thought. Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale were also searching, but also coming up empty-handed. Fairy Tail had completely transformed without Lucy. Though they weren't quiet and not constantly breaking everything, they weren't as lively as they once were. Without Lucy, and Lisanna, there was a gap that just couldn't be filled. When they heard a knock, only Mira responded, "Come in!"

As the door opened to reveal a familiar blonde, Gray, who had been staring at the door, let out a gasp. Erza and Natsu turned their heads questioningly. "I'm back everyone!" The familiar cheerful greeting, the wide smile, the blonde hair… How much have they missed this? Everyone suddenly jumped up in uproar, dashing towards their guest. Natsu, Gray, and Erza especially came up and choked her in a hug. "Luuuuucyyyyy, we're so glad you're back! Sorry for ignoring you after that incident, but we wanted to let you know that Lisanna is okay now!"

"Umm… what incident? And why wouldn't Lisanna be okay…?" Lucy tilted her head in confusion.

The guild members gawked at Lucy's comment, especially Gray. Why didn't she remember what happened? He was so sure that they met her six months ago, so why didn't she mention that? Why was she so drastically different?

After seconds of staring at each other, Lucy and the guild became locked in an intense staring contest, until Lisanna entered the room.


	7. Exam

"Stupid! Idiot!" Lisanna yelled as she ran towards Lucy with her hand raised.

"Hmm?" Lucy stared dumbfounded until the hand slapped her cheek. "Hey! What was tha-?"

Lisanna wrapped her arms around Lucy with tears in her eyes. "Don't just leave like that. If something's wrong, then you should tell us. Isn't that what guild mates are for?" Lisanna sobbed.

Lucy relaxed and returned the hug. "I'm sorry…" _Wait. What am I sorry for?_ With a perplexed expression, Lucy turned from Lisanna to face the rest of the guild. "Umm! I feel like you've all been talking about something I don't know about?"

Lisanna stepped away and looked up, tilting her head. "What do you mean you don't know…?"

The Master stepped in between us. "Lucy, it is probably amnesia. You went on a mission with Natsu, Gray, and Erza to get herbs for Lisanna who was sick. The medicine, though, was on a small cliff on a high mountain filled with Vulcans. While the other three were holding back the monsters, you climbed down to get the plant but were knocked off because a certain idiot here threw the Vulcan down at you. They searched, but were unable to find you and returned with just the herb. Lisanna's sickness was cured and we waited for you to come back. Everyone thought that Natsu did something stupid again, not that he didn't, and you walked off in anger. But, we're glad you're back!"

"Master Makarov…" a murmur escaped the crowd.

"Lucy, why don't you go get some rest while I punish these idiot brats." He smiled.

Lucy walked back towards her apartment confused. "Oh well!" She shouted to the air. "I'm sure it was idiot Natsu's fault anyways!"

Back at the guild, everyone surrounded the Master. "Is it really ok to tell her something like that?"

"It's better than knowing the truth at this point. The guild fell apart after that incident, and now we can restart. You guys don't need to forget about it just as Lucy did, but convince her nothing is wrong. When you have the opportunity, then search for clues about what happened. This is an order. We won't let the perpetrator succeed in taking away our guild's happiness!"

"YEAH! THAT'S RIGHT!" The guild cheered.

_I'm never letting them get hurt again. I'll protect both Lucy and Lisanna._ Natsu burned with rage.

"Master, the plan is succeeding wonderfully. I have trained Minerva to treat the guild with sadism; after all, the two dragon slayers will be quite useful in destroying Fairy Tail's guild and ideology. They have yet to notice that I have stopped time for them. They are still 10 years old. Lucy is also ready to betray her guild at any time. In the meantime, we have found Lord Zeref's location: Tenrou Island." Ultear spoke to a shadowed figure.

"Good, make preparations to go. We leave in two weeks."

A week passed, and Lucy re-assimilated into the guild. They got along just like before, but sometimes, she would see a look of sorrow or concern on her friend's faces. When they noticed that she was watching, of course, the look faded into a smile.

It was just a simple morning that began with a simple shower. "The shower feels great…" Lucy felt the hot water pouring on her face and body.

"This is a nice place you've got~" someone said from behind her.

"Isn't it?!" Lucy replied on reflex. It wasn't unusual for her guild mates to enter her room, but while she was showering was rare. As she turned her face, she saw Cana sitting in the bathtub and screamed. Lucy calmed down and entered the shower with Cana.

Cana sighed. "I'm thinking of leaving the guild."

Lucy stared back, and shouted, "Huh?!"

The next day at the guild, Lucy interrogated Mira, who simply responded, "It's fine. She always gets like this around this time," with a bright smile as usual. "You'll find out tomorrow!"

As tomorrow arrived, the Master held an assembly. "Fairy Tail! As done in the past, I will announce this year's S class Wizard Advancement Exam participants. This year's exam will be at Tenrou Island, our guild's holy ground. The examinees are Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Juvia Lockser, Elfman, Cana Alberona, Fried Justine, Levy McGarden, and Mest Gryder. Only one of you will pass, and the exam will be held in a week! Each participant will have one partner who must be a non S-Class Fairy Tail mage. The actual contents will be announced on the Island, but Erza, Mirajane, and Gildarts will play a part. Arrive at the port in one week with your designated partner. That's all!"

Master Makarov purposefully left Lucy out of the exam, despite her skill. He and her team agreed to be cautious and choose her as a partner in case she remembers. Fried quickly partnered up with Bickslow, Natsu with Happy, Gray with Loke, who entered the world using his own powers. Juvia ended up partnering with Lisanna, Elfman with Evergreen, and Levy with Gajeel. Meanwhile, Mest approached a distraught Wendy and introduced himself as Mystogan's apprentice.

As Lucy walked home, she noticed Cana on the ground dead drunk covered in snow and brought her home. "What's wrong? You've been acting weird lately, Cana."

"Didn't you already hear from Mira? I have this complex about the S-Class Exam."

"Is that related to you wanting to quit the guild?"

Sigh. "It's going to be my fifth time. I'm the only one who has failed four times. This will be my last try. If I still fail, I'm going to leave Fairy Tail."

"Wait, you don't need to go so far-"

"I have to be an S-Class mage! I have to… or I can't meet that person…" Cana felt reluctant to drag Lucy into her affairs, worried her memories might resurface. Especially now, Lucy was the only one who would listen to her past seriously, as they both have father issues. Cana's need for comfort overpowered her concern, and she proceeded to tell Lucy her past. "So if I don't become an S-Class wizard, I'm leaving the guild."

Lucy stood up in outrage. "I'll be your partner Cana! You won't have to leave the guild because I'll make you an S-Class mage!"

"Lucy…" Cana stared at the blonde, droplets flowing down her eyes._ Sorry, I broke the agreement. But I need Lucy… to help me become an S-Class mage, to finally meet him, even if it means sacrificing her happiness for the sake of mine… She will be okay… She has Natsu, and Gray, and Erza to protect her and bring her happiness… I have only her to fulfill my wishes…_ Cana assured herself that bringing in Lucy as the right choice and agreed to have Lucy as her partner.

A week later, the sixteen participations with the three S-Class mages and the Master boarded the ship towards Tenrou Island, toward the man who would quicken the forever spinning wheels of fate.


	8. First Encounter

The ship neared Tenrou Island and Master Makarov announced the start of the exam. For the first part, the teams had to enter one of eight tunnels and either battle against another pair, battle against an S-Class wizard, or luckily walk through the silent path. Fried quickly cast runes, trapping half of the teams on the ship. By the time Lucy and Cana reached the pathways, only one path was left. In the middle of the tunnel, a "Battle" sign appeared along with Fried and Bickslow, the two whom Cana and Lucy, when she fought without Loke, couldn't touch before during Battle of Fairy Tail. So much for the luck Lucy was so proud of.

While Cana and Lucy despaired, Fried and Bickslow had very different thoughts. Both of them owed a debt to the two girls, who reminded them of the nakama bonds that held together Fairy Tail. They decided that if they happened to run into Lucy and Cana in the Battle route, they would throw the match.

Cana quickly noticed Fried's "weakness" for scantily-dressed women and threw Sexy Lady Cards, immobilizing him. Meanwhile, Lucy summoned Aries after Virgo's fan-service and subsequent failure, capturing Bickslow's babies in Wool Bomb. As she ran up to Bickslow to deliver the finishing blow, she felt a sense of nostalgia, as if she had been in a similar situation before. She raised her hand over her opponent's head and muttered, "Spatial Magic: Teleportation." Nothing happened over several seconds until Lucy realized she didn't know such a spell. Ignoring her questions for now, she knocked Bickslow out with her signature Lucy Kick. Cana also managed to defeat Fried by using the Sexy Ladies to lead him into a lightning trap. Celebrating their victory, Lucy and Cana ran to the end of the tunnel in high spirits.

After the two girls left, Bickslow sat up. "Are you sure that was ok, Fried?"

"Yeah, we owed those two a favor after all."

"Your weakness for women was a bit much though."

"Right?"

"By the way, I noticed something weird with Lucy. She tried to use Spatial Magic on me, but she uses Celestial Spirits."

Fried's face turned grim. "… We should report to the Master."

While Lucy and Cana waited for the other victors to emerge, Lucy was curious to know about what happened during the two years and a half that she forgot. "Hey, who was promoted to S-Class mage last year and the year before?"

Cana averted her eyes. "Well, no one. No team managed to clear the tests those years." It was partially true. No team could clear the S-Class mage test because there was no test. Everyone was too distraught after losing Lucy and somewhat Lisanna, because she had to recover, so they busied themselves with missions and searching. Even Master Makarov forgot when the time came, and as a result, everyone agreed that the exam could be postponed until later. Now that Lucy had returned, the exam was re-implemented to convince Lucy that everything was normal.

"Hmm… so it's that hard. No wonder you failed four times."

"Hey!"

"But we'll be fine! After all, I promised I would make you an S-Class mage, right?"

"Lucy…"

As they finished talking, Gajeel and Levy appeared, followed by Natsu and Happy, then Gray and Loke, and finally (and unexpectedly) Elfman and Evergreen. The Master walked in soon after to announce the second part of the exam: the search for Mavis's grave. "You only have 6 hours. Only 6 hours. I'll be waiting at her grave." The Master walked away and the five remaining teams split up._ I hope nothing else happens_ to_ Lucy today._ A flock of crows flew from a tree as his thought finished as an omen.

At the same time, Mest told Wendy about a big secret hidden on the island, and she immediately agreed to explore with him.

Carla, worried about Wendy, came to the island with Pantherlily. After deliberations about Mest and Mystogan's personalities, they concluded that Mest was not a member of the guild.

After parting ways, each of the teams encountered enemies, which they either ran from or fought. Elfman and Evergreen were running from a boar until they fell through a hole. A black-haired boy walked towards them. "People…? I thought no one would be here…"

"Who are you? Only people from our guild can enter here!" Evergreen shouted as Elfman approached.

"Don't come closer!" A black wave emanated from the boy's body, destroying all life it touched.

Natsu quickly ran and tackled Elfman and Evergreen to the ground. "Who are you?" he repeated Evergreen's question with more malice.

"Natsu…" he looked alleviated. "You've grown up. I've wanted to meet you… Natsu."

Natsu rushed in and punched the boy, dealing no damage. "Who are you!? I don't know you!" he repeated. As he looked up towards the stranger, he was perplexed to see the boy crying.

_Even though I don't want to kill anyone anymore… Natsu… Even though you were the only one who could stop me… It's too soon…!_ More tears flowed down from his eyes. Suddenly, he bent in pain as another black wave was released, engulfing Natsu in its blast.

As the air cleared, Natsu saw that his scarf turned black and shouted, but the black-haired boy was gone.

"I'm still rejected by the world…" The boy sat at the base of a tree.

"Who's there?" A woman's voice came from far away.

The boy sighed, unable to find peace. He prepared to walk away, but two figures, Lucy and Cana, appeared before him.

"I asked who you are." the voice repeated. They walked closer towards him until they could make out his face. Lucy abruptly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Cana asked worriedly.

"I've seen him before..."

"Huh?" Puzzled, Cana looked at the black-haired boy.

But, he was also puzzled. On the island, he had never met anyone of this time before today.

"... It was in a picture... a mission..." She clutched her head in pain.

"…I don't really understand, but let's get out of here now, Lucy." Cana supported Lucy's weight and, with one last look at the boy, walked away.

In the distance, a giant ship was approaching Tenrou Island, "It's time Master Hades, although he seems to be asleep now." Ultear's face brimmed with excitement.


End file.
